Dispersion Pistol
The Dispersion Pistol is a weapon featured in Unreal, Unreal Mission Pack: Return to Na Pali and Unreal II: The Awakening. A pair of weapons based on its design are featured in Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict. __TOC__ Overview The Dispersion Pistol is an automatically-recharging energy pistol which fires relatively weak non-hitscan energy bolts. Its secondary fire stores up a charge in the capacitor before releasing it, resulting in a much more powerful bolt with splash damage. It was built by the Unified Space Military, and was also used by the Unified Military Service guards. This weapon uses a Brilithium Power Core, capable of firing a high-pulse energy bolt that can deterialize a lifeform. Unreal and Unreal Mission Pack: Return to Na Pali In Unreal and RTNP, the Dispersion Pistol is the player's default weapon. As such, it normally fires weak energy bolts. One useful feature is that it recharges energy over time, so it is always available and can save the player ammo for more serious situations. The Dispersion Pistol's projectile also has a light on it to allow the player to see in the dark if they do not have Flares or any other light source. In this vein, it is also useful for tasks such as breaking open barrels and crates when searching for items. Holding the secondary fire button allows energy to build up, letting the player fire more powerful blasts, depending on the amount of time the trigger was held. When it fully charges at a maximum of 500%, it automatically fires and deals splash damage. This Dispersion Pistol can be upgraded up to four times by collecting powerups. Each successive powerup morphs the pistol into more elaborate shapes, makes the energy bolts more powerful, increases the reserve capacity, and changes the bolt's primary fire color. However, the upgraded versions take more energy from the reserves, making it useful for only a few powerful shots, and lowers the rate of fire. Even though there are more than four Dispersion pistol upgrades, excessive ones will have no effect. Upgrades in Unreal # The first one can be found in Rrajigar Mine, in a Nali-operated secret located between two "unsafe" bridges over a river of lava. The Nali in question somewhat carelessly positioned himself near explosive barrels on a rather thin path, while in direct visual (and shooting) range of a Lesser Brute (who are quite infamous for their "accuracy"). Saving him might require several tries. # The second one awaits you at the Terraniux, and located at the second floor of the structure that separates the three greenhouses from each other. It can be reached in two ways: either from the inside of the structure by using the bottom elevators (try both, because only one of them can be ridden to the second floor) or by using Jump Boots from greenhouse B and entering through a somewhat concealed door in the middle. # The third is located at Temple of Vandora. Dive in the well with a glittering bottom, found just after the small yard near the start of the level. Roughly in the middle, you will find a tunnel on the outer wall that will shortly branch in two. One is a permanently barred dead end, while the other will lead you to a small underground cave with the powerup. # The fourth is nearly impossible to miss, because it lies in plain view at Velora Pass. However, picking it up will trigger the battle with the Stone Titan (and the exit door will be locked until he bites the dust). You can bravely destroy the beast by gunfire... or lure him away, press the switch he was sitting at, wait a bit, and then use the drop-bridge to give the monster a lethal lava bath. # The fifth is found in Bluff Eversmoking, obtained by jumping under belltower's lift. Be careful with the Skaarj Trooper that guards the area. # Na Pali Haven Upgrades in RTNP # Spire Valley # Nagomi Passage (Dawn) # Watcher of the Skies # Velora Temple Unreal II: The Awakening Unreal II features a Dispersion pistol known as the LEPEW-13, short for Law Enforcement Personal Energy Weapon, Type 13. It is also called simply Popgun. The LEPEW-13 was designed by the TCA, and is similar to the version in Unreal. Unlike Unreal's Dispersion Pistol, however, Unreal II's cannot be upgraded, but can hold the fully charged projectile until the player needs it, rather than firing it off as soon as it charges up. Because it is relatively weak, players should primarily use it as a fall-back weapon. However, the alt-fire inflicts a significant amount of electromagnetic damage, quite useful for taking out electronics and machines. A small quantum source in the handle automatically recharges the pistol. The regular mode fires energy bolts, alternate fire allows energy to build up, creating more powerful blasts. During charge, the weapons starts shaking and, when it's fully charged, requires two hands to hold it. Overall this is that basic gun that never goes away, because it uses a self recharging energy source. You receive this weapon at the start the game, and have it until the very end. The primary fire of this weapon is a slow-moving energy sphere that is pretty powerful for your "if you only have this gun, run" weapon. Alternate Fire is energy sphere with increase damage that must be charged before firing. This gun will take down some enemies in the beginning of the game, but is less effective against the stronger creatures you meet later in the game. Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict In Unreal Championship 2 the Nakhti dual-wield a weapon called the Nakhti Scorpion, which is based on the TCA's Dispersion Pistol design. The weapon's secondary mode needs to charge like in other versions, but fires a blast that freezes opponents in place. Raiden uses Lightning Bolts, fashioned after a set of Nakhti Scorpions using electrical energy. The weapons fire lightning bolts, but functions in much the same as actual Nakhti Scorpions. Tips and tricks * In Unreal and Return to Na Pali, finding the powerups and the Amplifier is the best way to improve the weapon's usefulness. A fully-upgraded pistol with an Amplifier is capable of defeating strong enemies. ** Also keep track of the weapon's ammo count. Although it has a recharging capability, after the first upgrade, firing below the required ammo will make the weapon fire unupgraded shots. At level 1, you get 50 shots each dealing 50 DP, but at level 2, you get 17 upgraded shots dealing 3x damage and having a base power of 60, and 9 unupgraded. The next three levels increase the base power (level 3 70, level 4 80 and level 5 90) and the damage scaling (5x for level 3, 6x for level 4 and 7x for level 5) while decreasing the ammo count (level 3, 4 and 5 allows you to fire 12 upgraded shots at full ammo, but also 10, 8 and 6 unupgraded shots). Gallery DPlvl1.jpg|Level 1 Dispersion pistol level 2.png|level 2 Dispersion pistol level 3.png|level 3 Dispersion pistol level 4.png|level 4 Dispersion pistol level 5.png|level 5 Unreal_Dispersion_pistol_evolution.gif|Dispersion pistol transformations and shooting Disp pistol powerup.jpg|The upgrade module Dispersion_pistol(U2).jpg Trivia * The Dispersion Pistol in the 1998 beta fired the same projectiles as the Skaarj; small energy bolts. External links and references See also